On the joint effects of repetition and stimulus quality in lexical decision: Looking to the past for a new way forward

Two experiments investigated the joint effects of stimulus quality and repetition in the context of lexical decision. Experiment 1 yielded an interaction between repetition and stimulus quality for words (but additive effects for nonwords) when the lag was short, replicating previous reports. Experiment 2, with a much longer lag than Experiment 1, yielded main effects of stimulus quality and repetition, but these factors no longer interact. The joint effects of stimulus quality and repetition for words as a function of lag can be understood in terms of two loci for repetition effects: one short-term and one long-term. The transient effect of repetition is on activation levels in the lexicons (and in which the input lexicon, but not beyond, is affected by stimulus quality), whereas the long-term effect is on the strength of two-way connections between lexical–lexical and lexical–semantic modules. These data and others, taken together with the account, provide a new way of thinking about a 30-year-old conundrum.     

Random error reduction in analytic hierarchies: a comparison of holistic and decompositional decision strategies

The principle of ‘divide and conquer’ (DAC) suggests that complex decision problems should be decomposed into smaller, more manageable parts, and that these parts should be logically aggregated to derive an overall value for each alternative. Decompositional procedures have been contrasted with holistic evaluations that require decision makers to simultaneously consider all the relevant attributes of the alternatives under consideration (Fischer, 1977 ). One area where decompositional procedures have a clear advantage over holistic procedures is in the reduction of random error (Ravinder, 1992 ; Ravinder and Kleinmuntz, 1991 ; Kleinmuntz, 1990 ). Adopting the framework originally developed by Ravinder and colleagues, this paper details the results of a study of the random error variances associated with another popular multi‐criteria decision‐making technique, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP); (Saaty, 1977 , 1980 ), as well as the random error variances of a holistic version of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (Jensen, 1983 ). In addition, data concerning various psychometric properties (e.g. the convergent validity and temporal stability) and values of AHP inconsistency are reported for both the decompositional and holistic evaluations. The results of the study show that the Ravinder and Kleinmuntz ( 1991 ) error‐propagation framework extends to the AHP and decompositional AHP judgments are more consistent than their holistic counterparts. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the asymptotic standard error of a class of robust estimators of ability in dichotomous item response models

In item response theory, the classical estimators of ability are highly sensitive to response disturbances and can return strongly biased estimates of the true underlying ability level. Robust methods were introduced to lessen the impact of such aberrant responses on the estimation process. The computation of asymptotic (i.e., large‐sample) standard errors (ASE) for these robust estimators, however, has not yet been fully considered. This paper focuses on a broad class of robust ability estimators, defined by an appropriate selection of the weight function and the residual measure, for which the ASE is derived from the theory of estimating equations. The maximum likelihood (ML) and the robust estimators, together with their estimated ASEs, are then compared in a simulation study by generating random guessing disturbances. It is concluded that both the estimators and their ASE perform similarly in the absence of random guessing, while the robust estimator and its estimated ASE are less biased and outperform their ML counterparts in the presence of random guessing with large impact on the item response process.     

An examination of the response styles theory of depression in third- and seventh-grade children: a short-term longitudinal study

The goal of this study was to test the response styles theory of depression in a sample of 3rd- and 7th-grade children. In addition, we examined whether the relationship between rumination and increases in depressive symptoms is mediated by hopelessness and low self-esteem. The procedure involved an initial assessment in which depressive symptoms, response styles, hopelessness, and self-esteem were assessed. The procedure also involved a follow-up assessment, 6 weeks later, in which depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and self-esteem were reassessed. Children with a ruminative response style exhibited increases in depressive symptoms over the 6-week period. In addition, the relationship between rumination and increases in depressive symptoms was mediated by both hopelessness and low self-esteem. Last, contrary to our hypotheses, neither distraction nor problem-solving response styles predicted decreases in depressive symptoms over the course of the study.     

Response competition and stimulus preference in the treatment of automatically reinforced behavior: a comparison

Clinicians are particularly challenged by the development of interventions for behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement because reinforcers that maintain the responses often cannot be directly observed or manipulated. Researchers have conducted either preference assessments or competing items assessments when developing effective treatments for behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. However, interventions based on these assessments have not been directly compared. The current study evaluated procedures to make such a comparison. High-competition items resulted in greater reductions in vocal stereotypy than did high-preference items for a preschool boy with autism.     

Assessing the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis in Kuwait: a cross sectional study

The main objective of this paper was to assess the level and the determinants of quality of life (QOL) amongst patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 200 adult MS patients. Inclusion criteria were: MS diagnosis for at least one year, and aged 21+ years. However, exclusion criteria were: having other neurological diseases, serious cardiovascular, orthopedic or other disability precluding participation. Self-administered questionnaire employed MSQOL-54 with two outcomes: Physical Health Composite (PHC) and mental health composite (MHC). Satisfaction with Daily Occupation scale was adopted through face to face interviews. The median of PHC and MHC scores were 48.9/100, and 53.4/100 respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that unemployment was a determinant of poor PHC, while low monthly income was a predictor of poor MHC. Additionally, low endurance and sensory problems were associated with poor PHC, and MHC, while motor problems were allied with only poor PHC. Patient’s satisfaction level with performing activities of daily living was positively associated with PHC and MHC. Assessment of QOL is suggested to be comprised in medical settings.     

Skills Evaluator: a multicriteria decision support system for the evaluation of qualifications and skills in Information and Communication Technologies

Employees need to acquire new qualifications throughout their lives in order to deal with the multiple changes in the labour market. This knowledge and competences (formally or non-formally acquired) must be identified and evaluated. For that reason, an integrated approach to the evaluation of Information and Communication Technology knowledge and skills is proposed. The multicriteria method that has been developed refers to professionals who wish to be accredited in a particular specialization through the evaluation of their professional experience, studies and vocational training. The aim of this paper is to present the multicriteria decision support system, Skills Evaluator, which brings into effect the aforementioned method. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mental health and quality of life in non-binary transgender adults: a case control study

Abstract

Background: The social challenges that non-binary people experience, due in part to social intolerance and the lack of validation of non-binary gender identities, may affect the mental health and quality of life of this population. However, studies that have distinguished between non-binary and binary transgender identities are lacking.

Aim: To compare the mental health and quality of life of a community sample of non-binary transgender adults with controls (binary transgender people and cisgender people) matched on sex assigned at birth.

Method: A total of 526 participants were included. Ninety-seven were classified as non-binary and were compared with two control groups: 91 people classified as binary and 338 cisgender people. Only transgender people not on gender affirming hormone treatment or who had not undergone gender affirming surgery were included. Participants were invited to complete an online survey that included mental health and quality of life measures.

Results: Non-binary people reported significantly better mental health than binary transgender people, but worse than cisgender people. Overall, there were no significant differences in quality of life between non-binary and binary transgender participants assigned male at birth and transgender females, but non-binary assigned males at birth had better scores on the psychological and social domains of quality of life than transgender males. Quality of life was better across all domains in cisgender people than transgender groups.

Conclusion: There is an inequality with regard to mental health and quality of life between non-binary (and binary) transgender people and the cisgender population that needs to be addressed. The better mental health scores in non-binary people may reflect lower levels of body dissatisfaction among the non-binary population. Mental health problems and poor quality of life are likely to have social causes and hence legislative measures and broader government-led inclusive directives should be put in place to recognize and to validate non-binary identifying people.     

Depression and anxiety correlate with disease-related characteristics and quality of life in Chinese patients with gout: a case-control study

This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety and investigate the potential risk factors for depression and anxiety in Chinese gout patients. A self-report survey was administered to 226 gout patients and 232 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals. Patients were asked to complete a set of standardized self-report questionnaires. Univariate and mutiple regression were used to analyze the data. We found 15.0% of gout patients had depression, and 5.3% had anxiety. After adjusted demographic variables, the prevalence of depression was significantly higher than the healthy controls (6.0%). There were significant correlations among education, total pain, disease duration, stage of gout, functional disability, number of tophi, number of flares/last year, presence of tender joints, nephropathy comorbidity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and psychological status. Meanwhile, logistic regression analysis identified number of tophi, functional disability, and mental component summary (MCS) as predictors of depression in gout patients. Education and MCS were significantly accounted for anxiety. In summary, the prevalence of depressive symptoms among gout patients was higher than healthy individuals. Education, disability, tophi and HRQoL were important risk factors linked to depression/anxiety in Chinese gout population.     

The effect of religiosity on quality of life in Muslim patients with heart failure: a study in Qom,the religious capital of Iran

Due to the low quality of life (QoL) in patients with heart failure, many researchers attempted to find new ways to improve the QoL in these patients. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between QoL and religious attitudes of patients with heart failure. In this cross-sectional study, 130 male and female patients with heart failure were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using 36-item short form Quality of Life and structured Religious Attitude Questionnaires. The average age of subjects was 59.50?±?12.29; also, 52.3% of them were female. A significant relationship was observed between patients’ QoL and their religious attitudes in mental (p?=?.03) and general health (p?=?.04) dimensions, but religious attitude had no significant correlation with physical health dimension (p?=?.66) and the total score of QoL (p?=?.30). At the end, it was concluded that religious beliefs can improve patients’ quality of life.     

Doctor-patient relationship and quality of life in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: an exploratory study of the potential mediating role of illness perceptions and acceptance

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterised by unpredictable bowel symptoms. These can be difficult to manage, consequently impacting quality of life (QoL). In addition, a strained doctor–patient relationship is independently reported in the qualitative literature. Given the doctor is often the first port of call for people with IBS, a difficult relationship may influence subsequent IBS management. Research suggests illness perceptions are important in determining IBS outcomes in therapy; however, their association with doctor–patient relationship and QoL is yet to be investigated. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the association between these constructs in IBS, as well as potential mediation by illness perceptions. Online questionnaires measuring doctor–patient relationship, illness perceptions, acceptance and QoL, were completed by 167 participants who reported an IBS diagnosis (144 female, mean age = 44.22 years, SD = 15.91 years). Bootstrapped pathway analysis was used to model the relationship and mediation effects. There was a significant positive correlation between patient–doctor relationship and QoL, r = .258, n = 167, p = .001. There was a significant indirect effect between doctor–patient relationship and QoL through illness coherence and acceptance (bootstrapped estimate = .058, 95%CI Lower-Upper = .02, .095, p = .002). No other indirect effects were observed in combination with good fit indices for the other illness perceptions. Findings suggest a doctor–patient relationship which fosters mutual understanding and helps patients make sense of symptoms, increases their ability to manage their IBS in a psychologically flexible manner, subsequently helping them maintain their QoL.     

Anxiety,depression, and health-related quality of life in aging people living with HIV compared to diabetes patients and patients with minor health conditions: a longitudinal study

HIV infection has evolved from a fatal to a treatable condition, leading to an increase in the rate of elderly People Living with HIV (PLWH). However, little is known about the psychosocial burden of elderly PLWH. Thus, the aim of this longitudinal multi-center cohort study was to investigate whether elderly PLWH experience more anxiety and depression and reduced health related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to elderly patients with other chronic conditions. PLWH were compared to diabetes patients (DM) and patients with minor health conditions (MHC), e.g. patients with hypertension or allergic conditions. All patients were over 50 years old. Anxiety and depression (HADS) as well as HRQOL (SF-36) were assessed at baseline and after 12 months. 218 PLWH, 249 DM and 254 MHC were included. At baseline, the study groups did not differ in anxiety, depression, and physical HRQOL. However, PLWH indicated lower mental HRQOL than DM and MHC patients (p = 0.001). We did not obtain any moderating effects showing a differential effect of patient characteristics on anxiety, depression, and HRQOL in the three patient groups. At follow-up, the level of anxiety, depression, and HRQOL did not change significantly. The prevalence of anxiety ranged between 27 and 35%, and that of depression between 17 and 28%. Thus, the results of our investigation tentatively suggest that the psychosocial adaptation to HIV among elderly PLWH resembles those of other chronic diseases. There may be some subtle impairments, though, as PLWH experienced lower mental HRQOL.     

The role of context in preschool learning: a multilevel examination of the contribution of context-specific problem behaviors and classroom process quality to low-income children's approaches to learning

Research suggests that promoting adaptive approaches to learning early in childhood may help close the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children. Recent research has identified specific child-level and classroom-level variables that are significantly associated with preschoolers' approaches to learning. However, further research is needed to understand the interactive effects of these variables and determine whether classroom-level variables buffer the detrimental effects of child-level risk variables. Using a largely urban and minority sample (N = 275) of preschool children, the present study examined the additive and interactive effects of children's context-specific problem behaviors and classroom process quality dimensions on children's approaches to learning. Teachers rated children's problem behavior and approaches to learning and independent assessors conducted classroom observations to assess process quality. Problem behaviors in structured learning situations and in peer and teacher interactions were found to negatively predict variance in approaches to learning. Classroom process quality domains did not independently predict variance in approaches to learning. Nonetheless, classroom process quality played an important role in these associations; high emotional support buffered the detrimental effects of problem behavior, whereas high instructional support exacerbated them. The findings of this study have important implications for classroom practices aimed at helping children who exhibit problem behaviors.     

Effectiveness of treatment of childhood memories in cognitive therapy for personality disorders: a controlled study contrasting methods focusing on the present and methods focusing on childhood memories

This study tested the hypothesis that treatment of childhood memories is an effective way to change personality disorder related schemas and psychopathology in cognitive therapy for personality disorders. To test this hypothesis, a crossover design was used to compare the effectiveness of methods focusing on the present and methods focusing on childhood memories. After the exploration period, the therapist focused either first on the present during 24 sessions and than for 24 sessions on childhood memories, or followed the reverse order. Twenty-one patients with one or more Axis II disorders were included. Participants were randomly assigned to order of focus. Results indicate that CT methods focusing on childhood memories produce good outcomes, comparable to those of methods focusing on the present. There was no significant effect of order, but both patients and therapists preferred the past-present order. Total effects of the package were large and were maintained till one-year follow-up (d's 0.97-1.90). Experience of the therapist with CT for personality disorders was related to better outcome (d=0.73).     

Exploring the experience of episodic past,future, and counterfactual thinking in younger and older adults: A study of a Colombian sample

Although extant evidence suggests that many neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying episodic past, future, and counterfactual thinking overlap, recent results have uncovered differences among these three processes. However, the extent to which there may be age-related differences in the phenomenological characteristics associated with episodic past, future and counterfactual thinking remains unclear. This study used adapted versions of the Memory Characteristics Questionnaire and the Autobiographical Interview in younger and older adults to investigate the subjective experience of episodic past, future and counterfactual thinking. The results suggest that, across all conditions, younger adults generated more internal details than older adults. However, older adults generated more external details for episodic future and counterfactual thinking than younger adults. Additionally, younger and older adults generated more internal details, and gave higher sensory and contextual ratings, for memories rather than future and counterfactual thoughts. Methodological and theoretical consequences for extant theories of mental simulation are discussed.     

Psychological wellbeing and the diathesis-stress hypothesis model: The role of psychological functioning and quality of relations in promoting subjective well-being in a life events study

Negative life events are associated with poor wellbeing and mental health outcomes. Following a diathesis-stress model, we tested whether psychological functioning and quality of interpersonal relationships moderated the effect of life events on subjective wellbeing. This study comprised data from a young and middle-aged adult sample (n = 364) drawn from an Australian university-student population. Results indicated that life events were associated with negative but not positive wellbeing outcomes. Perceived impact of life events was a stronger predictor of wellbeing than was the number of life events. Psychological functioning and quality of interpersonal relationships were associated with both wellbeing dimensions but only quality of interpersonal relationships moderated the effect of life events on wellbeing. In conclusion, perceived impact of life events was more strongly related to wellbeing than number of life events. Interpersonal relationships moderate the effect of life events with those reporting higher levels of quality of interpersonal relationships reporting less decrement in negative affect following stressful life events.     

Empowerment and threat in response to mass protest shape public support for a social movement and social change: A panel study in the context of the Bersih movement in Malaysia

One path to social change is through sustained collective action. Although such actions often explicitly target the public audience to raise support for a movement's cause, we know little about how the public psychologically responds to protests. To examine this question, a sample of Malaysians was surveyed before and immediately after the occurrence of mass street protests in Malaysia (N = 422) using a two-wave longitudinal design. Analyses revealed that (beyond pre-existing levels of movement identity and support for social change) experiencing empowerment in response to the protests promoted a supportive movement identity and more support for social change after the protests, whereas experiencing threat in response to the protests promoted an oppositional movement identity and less support for social change after the protests. This research suggests that the psychological impact of ongoing protests on the public can determine subsequent public support for the movement and its goals.